Apparatus for the manufacture of cementitious sheets



R. DOR'N El Al;

June 18 19 35.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CEMENTITIOUS SHEETS Filed Jan. 16; 1934- 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Fenflargv fiar/ rzMIlzs W K A ORNEY June 18, 1935. R. DORN ETAL 2,004,935

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CEMENTITIOUS SHEETS Filed Jan. 16, 19.54 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 18, 1935. R. DORN ET AL- 2,004,936

' APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CEMENTITIOUS SHEETS Filed Jan. 16, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet ."5

nil In II in all mvgNTons Rene flora,

Patented June 18, 1935 UNITED STATES,

APPARATUS FOR THE' ACTUBE OF mm CEMENTITIOUS snEE'rs v Rene Dom and Martin 'wuus, New Orlean La. Application January 1c, 1934, Serial No. 706,814

This invention pertains generally to apparatus for the formation of cementitious sheets ,and more particularly to that part of the apparatus, commonly known as a hopper, for deploying the sheet '5 material upon a pre-formed In" our co-pending parent application, Serial -No. 607,971, filed April- ,28, 1932, of which the present application is in part a continuation, is

described the entire apparatus for forming a novel 10. cementitious sheet. The invention herein relates to the hopper and cooperating apparatus used in making the above 'mentioned sheets.- I

To give afulland clear understanding of the invention, a description of the general apparatus associated with the hopper for producing the novel cementitious sheet is given also in addition to the description of the hopper itself. However, the invention claimed in this application is directed-mainlyto the hopper and its immediate cooperating apparatus.

rteferzing to the drawings in which like reference characters are appended to like parts in the variousfiflgur s.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of apparatus for making .25 the above mentioned-cementitious sheetsfl Fig. 2 is a plan'view thereof;

f Fig. 3 is an elevation partly in sectiom of a hopper and of parts adiacent thereto; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the hopper; Fig, 5 is a detail of an adjustable Fig. 6 isa perspective view partly in section of a modiflcation of the hopper shown in Figs..-

Fig. 7" is aside. view partly in section'hf thehopper shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an elevatiompartly in section of thereciprocating side walls of the hopper and its associated matrix;

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic representation of the reciprocating side walls when the left hand wall has reached its lowest downward position; and Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic representation of the reciprocating side walls when the right hand wall has reached its lowest downward position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, at It in Figs. 1 and a is shown a conveyor illustrated as being of the "driven roller type. Howeccentric 1;! Claims. (01. 25-42) of a length equal to the desired width of the la ver it of pulp which is formed by pulp I4 pass ng through the opening l5.

Pulp ll may.be of a consistency such as to flow by gravity through the opening l5 but is 5 preferably of lesserrwater' content. 'll'his will re- 'quire some special means to cause the pulp to flow through the opening l5 because of the stifler and viscous consistency. Such means may com- 3 prise avibrating hopper, a form ofwhich will be 10 j more particularly described hereinafter, or 'any other device such as one adapted to extrude the layer It through a die conforming to thedesired opening it by means ofpressure on the pulp IQ with or without heat. f Y

If -the pulp contains a fibre, such as pulp Q made from hydraulic cement, asbestos fibre and water, the fibre upon passing through the narrow opening It will becomesubstantially oriented into planes substantially parallel with the sur- 20 face of the layer li formed by the opening it.

' We find substantialorientatiomis obtainedwith layers up or three quarters inch in 'ckness.

tiye to the layer- I 6 so that-the end. of layer It 25- contacts-the right-end of matrix H as seen in Fig. 1, the matrix H preferably movingtothe right on conveyor It at a speed conforming more or '-less closely to the speed at which the layer J IB issues from the opening IS sothatkthelayer 30.

is will be laid out on the matrix jl without undue stretching or buckling.

y proper design of the converging sidewalls x of the vibrating hopper I3, explained in detail hereinafter, the' layer I 6 issuing from the open- .35 I

ing II will be preformed by these side walls in such a manner that it will conform to the contour of matrix H. Thus, the walls of hopper I3 may be designed-to deploy a sheet layer of substantially uniform thickness upon the matrix 9 ll regardless of whether this matrixis fiat, corrugated, or of any other configuration. n Depending uponrthentype of means employed for depositing layer It, this layer *may have a certain slight surface unevenness or waviness.,- a To remove any such lrregularitmwe may provide a roller l8 adapted .to lightly touch the up-' per surface of the layer it throughout its width, the roller l8 having a contour conforming to that 15 "of the layer [6. The roller l8 preferably isdriven sothat'its surface moves oppositely to that Q; l

of the layer It and at a substantially greater speed. The rollerl8'i's'"'essentially a smoothing ,roller and its contact with the layer It should The matrix II is positioned and moved rela- 1,

, trated at 2|, or to add any additional number been superimposed with or without coloring mataccumulate on essary to expel any water from the layer It I 'ing the steps of superimposing the layers.

at this point. Expelling 'of water is accomplished by means of a press 25 having an-upper matrix 26' conforming to the upper surface of the layer I? and a'lower matrix 21 for holding the matrix I the matrix II and the layer thereon are raised by means of the piston and cylinder arrangement shown at, theupper surface of the'layer IO coming in contact with thematrlx 20 and be! ing substantially uniformly compacted thereby" throughoutits surface so that the water is expelled without substantially disturbing the previous structural relationship of the layer I! or substantially displacing the particles of the layer .IS in alateral sense and without setting uphigh pressure zones at irregular places throughout the area. 9m reduction in section will be small and uniform throughout the layer II For purposes of disposing. of the water. which is expelled from the layer It the II and 20 may be perforated in some well manner. s

The apparatus adapts itself very readily to the manufacture of laminated sheets, it being merely I necessary to duplicate the hopper-Il,'as illusof hoppers depending upon the number of laminations desired. As shown, the roller It has been duplicated at 23 j Any additional layers such as the lavernll deposited upon layers It will conform to the configuration ofthelayer II in all respectssimilarly to the manner' in which the layer II has :-conformed to the II. Depending upon the fluidity of the layers of pulp and the care with which the second layer is deposited upon the first, there may be a slight and inconsequential shift of material so-that one layer might bevery slightly thicker at one point than at an-' other. However, such slight shift in material is wholly incidental and in no way departs froin the spirit of the invention.

Orientation of the fibres greatly increasesthe hbevariedinaccordancewithdemands. Forinstance, if the load is on one face of the sheetithe layeradiapent'theload will compression and. the layer opposite the load willlbe unlli identify. the process bymeans of which the sheet der tension. frhe layer under compression may,

therefore, have) less ijlbre in view" of the-higher compressive strength of materials of this type.

This will increase its resistance to the Itisverysimpletoprovidemeansforstmlying the divisionline between the adhering laminations by merely providingany suchasillustrated atJl fordepositing a thin film or stripes of coloring matte'r. II on the layer Il before application of the layer "thereto. We

Lfind that a very suitable coloring substance can be made by mixing 90% dry hydraulic cement and 10% red iron oxide. It is, of course, under;

stood that any other substance might be substituted therefor inasmuch as the function of this coloring-matter is merely to show the di- 'vision line between the adhering laminations to To expel water, matrix 21 together with has been manufactured. J If more than two laminaticns comprise the sheet, it is,.of course, understood'that, if desired, any additional number of color depositing devices may be added. A

The manufacture of sheets by means of combining laminations affords an opportunity to eiliciently incorporate reinforcement members dur- For instance, in the manufacture of corrugated sheets, particularly those used for roofing pur-- poses'w'herein the valesare placed under tension and the crests underxcompres'sion, inasmuch as the compressive strengthof this type of material is substantially greater than the tensil it is desirable to reinforce the vaies. -This may be done by laying longitudinal rods in the vales between the hoppers I3 and 2IL.These longitudinal rods, of course, are not reshaped in 'the press 25 but already have the shape which will have in the finished product. It is, of course,'possiblealsotoinsertrods inthecrests if desired or toinsert rods in thecrests' only. It is also possible to employ any other form of reinfomement alone or in addition to the rods such I as mesh of which wire cloth andexpanded metal are samples. Such mesh would be pre-formed .to conform to the upper surface of the layer- II so'that no reshaping would be necessary in the press II or otherwise. For instance, if the sheet ter and/or reinforcements, the composite mass is placedwithin the press and 'thewater expelled in the same manner ,as above set forth.

. Thematrix II isthen withdrawn and the sheet, 1

is stripped therefrom or the matrix as desired.v

While the invention described in connection with a slngle matrix, it is, of course, understood thatrthe matrices II will succeed each permitted to cure on other onthe'conveyor I0. In fact; the matrices I I may be arranged on the conveyor It with abuttin'g ends so that the layers. of pulp may be deposited continuously, the cutting of the layers between the II taking place just before introduction of eac'h matrix into the press 25.

Other means may be substitutedfpr the press f 25' for expelling water from the sheets.

In Figs. 3 and 4 we have shown a vibrating hopper. This hopper comprises oppositely arranged reciprocating side walls 29 and 3 shown arranged inthe form of a V with an opening II at the vertex; 1 Side walls 2 9 and U 'are' shown ,'arranged between stationary end walls 32.,the

slde walls I! and ll being supported in guides a secin'edto the end walls 31.

Mounted on the frame 14 are a motor "through reduction gearing ,3! and belt or chain 3!. fromshaft SI by means of a chain ll.

Shaft 35 is journaled m slidable blocks 4|, blocks I being adjustable by-meansof screws 42 to move the sidewall 29 wlth'respect to the side' 1 two shafts," and I8; Shaft 35 isshown driven by Shaft 36 isillustratedas driven that is, It is, of course, \mder- Side wall 3| isomounted on eccentrics on shaft 3|inamannersothatsldewall3|isre-- ciprocated upon revolution of the shaft 33.

.The reciprocation of the side wall 23 may be with respect to the reciprocation of side wall 3| bymeans of adjustingchain 4| on, sprocket 41 on. shaft "mud on sprocket II on shaft 3|.g The adjustment is preferably one in which side walls 23 and 3| reciprocate in unison,

stoodthatthelengthofchainflwillvaryac cording to the adjustment at I! and ll.

ing a, a

The variation in size of the opening'3l and the movement of the side walls 33 and 3| about the opening, :due to the reciprocation of side walls 29 and,3| not only causes the pulp ll-to flowthroughtheopeningfl inlayerformliutalso tendstocause,anyflbreinthemilpto orienated into planes substantially parallel to the surfacesofthelayerotpulpfonnedattheopen- As thebpening 3| has a longitudinal dimension more or lesequal to th e width of the The cross sectional contour of the layer of pulp maybe edbyvariationintheloweredgeof side wall andf/or sidewall 23, and also byvariation oftheinner surfaeeofthesesidewallsasis explained in detail This will prove of advantage in forming corrugated sheets with thickened crestsanii vales.

Side wall 2s m Figure 3.is'illust1ated asheing somewhat longer than the side wall at theopening 3|. 'rn sidewall thusactssomewhat asabasetoward whichthesidewall3| may operate in the formationof a layer, both side walls rection opposite to the movement of the layer N on matrix I Land should preferably have a somewhat increased peripheral speed. Roller illhay made adjustable vertically by means of screws The chute, shown at 52-, pertains to a device for keeping thepolp 4| at a uniform height in the hopper and otherwise does not pertain to this invention. Another means for timing the reciprocation of side wall 2| with respect to the reciprocation of side wall 3| is by useofanadjustablecam. Such a cam, however, is more meful for: varying the length of the stroke of the reciprocating side walls. One form of adjustable cam is'dbclosed in I 'igure5inwhich'aneccentrierimportion53is.

I made adjustable with'respeet toan eccentric hub portion 54 mounted on a shaft 55. The adjust mm; may beaccomplished by providing the-hub portion ",with a plurality of spaced grooves 55' which are adapted to cooperate with a comple- .mentary groove 51 in the rim portion 53 to form a key-way for a key 53. It is; of course, understood that any other form of adjustable cam may be employed. By mov'mg rim portion 53 with respect t o hub. portion 54 the length of the stroke of the side walLmay be varied as will be understood by inthe art. Any necessary scribed hereinabove.

adjustment as to synchronization may then madebyadjustingchainl|showninl'ig.4. It is, of course-understood that any means may be employed for driving shafts 35 35 and for connecting the shafts together sols tosynchronizethemovementsofsidewallsll and3|.

Theperspective viewinlfigfishowsamodiflcation-ofthehoppershowninI 'IgsJandldeprincipallyinthechangedstmctureofthereciplocating sidewalls53and5|,showninl"lg. ascom'paredwiththereciprocatingsidewa'llsfl and3| showninFigs.3and4above. Thereciprocatingwallflhasitsinnersm'faceflas well'as itslower edge 52 corrugated in manner thatthehillsandvalesmatch the matrixll. This struetureisconductive to conformtotheshapeofthematrixllmoreeasily thanitwilliftheentireinnersm'iaceandlower edgeofthereciprocatingwallfl wereplalninvaleswilleoincidewitlithoseofthecorrmated wall5landinatrix ll. Thepurposeofthlsstructm'eistoprovideamoreemcientdeposltionof connection with Figs. 9 and 10.

During operation, thewalh 5| and 3| are giventheirreciprocatingmotionintheirrespee tive slots 33 formedin the end walls 3!;as1bscribedabovabymeansofa and shafts Hand 33 and 45 and 55. The, wheel is andplanewallllareshownclearlyhlllg.'l bytheeurved lines |5and|5respectlvely.

Theselines 35am! representthebottomelkesofthewallsllandflrespectivelyandthecurved line fitsthetopofthecorrmatedsuh faceofmatrixll.

The operation of thereclpmcatingwalla 5| an||willbeclearlyfromanexamF walls andtlarereciprocatedwithanupsnd downmotion. whentheshaftsflamlfland consequently the eccentrics l5 and are rotated approximately from the position shown in rotate in the same direction and .the walls. it and begin to converge at the point 3 I w a In one modification, the ,hopper shown in Fig;

8 is operated in a manner described below. The

H5 details or the movements of walls 59 and 60 being shown in Figs. 9 and .10. In this type of operation, the eccentrics l5 and "46 are not set so that the walls 59 and 60- reach dead center at the same instant but eccentric 45 is given'a lead over iii-I eccentric '40 by a substantial amount, for example, 112. When wall 5! has reached its maximum downwardstroke as represented in Fig. 9 bythe member 68, the wall 60 represented in Pig. 9 by the member 69 still has to travel in a '15: downward direction the distance involved in the rotatiorrpf eccentric 46 through 12 of its, revolution. Consequently as wall 59 represented in Fig. 10 by the member 68 starts upward in its stroke, wall ill, or member 69, still has'to travel a, slight distance downward and pass its dead center point before it starts back in its upward motion; Now, since'the member 88, or

wall'llris a female corrugation over its entire b'er ll due to their complementary corrugations and to the lag in the eccentric 46. The result of this meshing action between members 68 and Il or walls 5! and I, is that the pulp or other material 4! is scavenged or wiped from the lower point-oiwall' is, ormember ",and caused to deposit on the matrix H; a

The particular description given 11mm has been merely for the purpose oi illustration and -niany modifications and/or substitutions may be made inthe parts particularly described without de y from the spirit of the invention; The appended claims are intended to be limited only by the prior art. Y

We claim: A: 1 l. A hopper comprising opposite side walls, each adapted to reciprocate, one end of each of said walls being arranged with'respect to the adiacent end otthe other of said wallsso as to deissue material {rum said hopper. v 2. Apparatus for forming a thin layer oipulp and ior orienting fibre in said pulpinto planes substantially parallel to the surfaces of the layer, comprising a vibratinghopper, and an openingtnsaid vibrating hopper coniorming to the desired shape oi. said layer. In an apparatus for forming a layer 01' pulpy means adapted to retain and issue a quantity of said material and including a mov-" fable element normally in retaining relation to pulp y material to be issued from said means, and means tor moving said element to issue the maierial from the retaining and issuing means to K iornr slayer ironi the issued material. 4. vibrating hopper comprising an enclosure, said enclosure having opposite walls adapted to reciprocate, said walls at their lower defining a narrow opening of a desired length.

8. A vibrating hopper compris an enclosure having: oppositely arranged reciprocating side walls, .,the lower edges of said side walls defining an openingsubstantially-bi the character 01' the p desired cross section of alayer of pulp to be fine an opening therebetween through which to formed at said opening, and means for synchronizing the reciprocation oi' 'said side walls.

6,; A vibrating hopper comprising an enclosiire; said enclosure having opnositelyi downwardly converging sidewalls, said side-walls having their lower edges spacedirom each-other to, define an opening, and means for reciprocating said sidewalls.

'7 .-A vibrating hopper comprising an enclosure,

said enclosure havingjoppositely arranged downii) wardlyconverging side walls, saidside walls'hav ing their lower edges spaced from other to define an opening, means i'or adjusting the width. H

of said opening, and means gorreciproea'ting said side walls. a .8. A vibrating hopper cornprisi'ng an enclosure, said enclosure having oppositely arrangeddownwardly converging sidewalls, side walls 5. having their lower edges spaced i'romeach other to define an openingfoneoi said lower edges overlapping the'other, and means tonreciprocating saidside walls.- I v r 9. Apparatus for forming a thin-layeroi' pulp and for orienting fibre ins'aid pulpinto planes substantially parallel to-the suriacefof the layer,

comprising a hopper, andan opening in said'hop' pet of narrowwidth and conforming to the desired shape of said-layer, and means for c'ontin- 3 ually changing the width of said 10. A hopper comprising an enclosure, said enclosure having opposite walls adapted to recip-- 'rocate,.said wallsat theirlower edges defining a narrow opening of a desired length, and means for continually reciprocating said wallstocliangethe -.-width of said opening. I 11. A vibratinghopper comprlsingla substantially ,v shaped enclosure, said enclmure' having oppositely arranged downwardly converging'side q walls, a narrow opening between saidside walls at the vertex of saidenclosure, and means for 0 .reciprocatingsaidside-bvalls. l

12. A vibratinghopper comprising an enclosure, said enclosure having op tely ed down- L wardly converging side walls, said sidewalls having their lower edges spaced other to define an opening, means for moving-said side walls up and down along substant ially;straight lines to continually change of said 13. A vibrating hoppercomprifsing an enclosure, said enclosurehaving oppositely downwardly converging side wa s, saidjside walls having their lowerbedges spaced iromeach other to define an opening, means" formoving said side walls upward and downward so that-one of the walls reaches its lowest andhighest positions at diilferen't times than the other. wall reaches its lowest and highest positions.

. 14. A hopper comprising an enclosure, said enclosure having oppositewalls adapted to reciprocate, said walls at their lower-"edges defining a narrow opening of a desired length, and one [of said walls having-corrugations over its entire innersuriace.

15. A hopper c enclosure having prising' an e nclosure, said posite walls. adapted to-reciprocate, said walls at their lower edges defining opening or a desiredleiigth one 01 5 said walls having corrugations over its entire inwalls'upward'and downward, one of said walls ner surfacekand the other of said walls having only its lower section corrugated and insucl manner that it will mesh with the opposite cor-w rugated wall during a portion of the time that the walls arereciprocating. v

17. A vibrating hopper comprising an enclosure oontaining a cementitious material, said enclosure having opposite walls'adapted to reciproca'te,-said walls at their lower edges defining-a narrow opening of a desired length, means for moving said having corrugations over its entire inner surface with the bottom portion of said entirely corrugated wall and thereby effects a' scavenging action of vthe material deposited on said porrugated wall and causes such material to flow through said narrow opening. 

